Manatt adds Commercial Litigation Trio

WASHINGTON — Aug. 25, 2014 — Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced today that Benjamin G. Chew has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the litigation group. He is joined by partner Nigel Wilkinson and associate Joshua Drian. All three lawyers come to Manatt from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Prior to joining Pillsbury, Chew headed the Commercial Litigation & Antitrust Group at Patton Boggs, where he practiced for more than 20 years.

Chew is an accomplished commercial litigator with extensive trial and arbitration experience in both federal and state courts. Representing clients throughout the United States and internationally, he has a proven track record for handling disputes and class actions involving such areas as intellectual property, government contracts, breach of contract, the Uniform Commercial Code, defamation, products liability, lease and other real estate transactions, personal injury, noncompete, insurance law, trade association liability, fraud, and RICO.

“Ben is an exceptional trial lawyer,” said Matt Kanny, chair of Manatt’s Litigation Division. “With an impressive record of successful outcomes, clients rely on him for superior counsel. His high-profile wins, together with his past leadership experience and dedication to exceptional client service, make him, Nigel and Josh exciting additions to our national team. We’re delighted to welcome them to Manatt.”

Chew’s many successes include the defense of manufacturers and a major trade association in products liability cases. He successfully represented the governments of Dubai and Honduras in U.S.-based litigation, and assisted a large U.S. multinational corporation against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua in the Ninth Circuit. He currently represents several large government contractors in the Eastern District of Virginia, and is also counsel to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board in securities class action litigation, in which the court recently approved the second-highest settlement of its kind in the history of the District.

Joining Chew in Manatt’s Washington office, Wilkinson counsels clients on pre-litigation, litigation, arbitration, mediation, bankruptcy and agency-related matters in such areas as defamation, trade secret misappropriation, patent infringement, contract disputes, civil RICO, personal injury, fraud and tort claims. Additionally, he counsels and defends clients on a variety of employment-related matters.

Drian joins the firm as an associate. His practice primarily focuses on complex civil litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and government and internal investigations. Drian has experience in federal and state courts, arbitration, and pretrial investigative proceedings.

“The skill and experience of Ben and his team further deepens our capabilities in the nation’s capital,” said William T. Quicksilver, Manatt’s chief executive officer and managing partner. “The strategic expansion of our presence on the East Coast, particularly in the area of litigation, is an objective of the firm. We are pleased to have found three such highly regarded litigators.”

“The superior quality of Manatt’s litigation expertise, which is driven by legal talent across wide-ranging industry-focused practices, made the firm an easy choice for the three of us,” said Chew. “The firm’s market-leading capabilities in financial services, healthcare, energy, entertainment, privacy and data security, and digital media provide new and exciting opportunities, and we are excited to be members of this impressive team.”

Manatt’s commercial litigation practice is nationally recognized for excellence in Chambers USA and U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 ranking of the country’s "Best Law Firms. The teamcombines aggressive, creative litigation talent with a deep knowledge of the industries and practice areas in which its clients operate — advertising, healthcare, entertainment, energy, financial services, intellectual property and real estate. The firm pairs its clients with a team of trial lawyers who know what it takes to win in the courtroom and who know their industries, enabling them to achieve unparalleled successes for clients. Manatt’s litigators include some of the top trial and appellate lawyers in the United States. The firm’s attorneys regularly manage “bet the company” litigation involving virtually every substantive area of business law. They also understand and have a great deal of experience in simultaneously dealing with parallel proceedings involving regulatory, administrative, criminal and civil issues.

Chew earned his B.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Wilkinson earned his B.A. from George Mason University and his J.D. from the Catholic University of America. Drian earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.            

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation’s leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.